January Freshwater Fly of the Month: Blue Winged Olive
Any good angler knows that it is important to know the tendencies and seasons of the flies in the area they fish in. But the blue wing olive mayflies are a unique fly, because you will find them at almost every month of the year, wherever you are. The blue wing olive mayfly looks like a tiny, greenish gray sailboat on the water to the human eye, but to the trout - that sailboat looking fly with wings that are light gray to black looks like lunch! The olives typically hatch and then swim to the surface. After swimming to the surface, they split their nymphal shells and emerge as winged insects. The blue wing olives are prime trout food from fall through spring. This gives anglers a distinct advantage over other anglers, as the flies are a sure shot at rising fish at almost any time of the day (particularly effective during the warmest part of the day).
The key to success is to wade as closely as possible to the rising fish, and then target individual fish (as opposed to shooting into a group of the risers). By watching the individual fish, you can see what stage of the hatch the fish is keying on and where in the current he is feeding. Be patient! With careful observation, you can pick out the largest fish in the pool and then specifically target it. Try to position yourself slightly upstream and across so that you can make a fly first downstream presentation to the trout.
The Blue Wing Olive Spinner Secret (from Hunting and Fishing Suite 101)
Within 24 hours, the spinners mate and fly to the river's surface to lay eggs and die. On many days, the spinners land on the water's surface at the same time the immature nymphs hatch into duns. Anglers see the upright wings of the duns - and tie on a dry fly with an upright wing. Most anglers miss the secret part of the blue wing olive hatch. The adult blue wing olives that survive the trout fly off to streamside brush and molt into the sexually mature insect, which is called a spinner. Spinners have bright, clear wings and big eyes. Few anglers see the spinners - with clear, almost invisible wings - sprawled flat on the surface at the same time. But the trout - especially the bigger, warier fish - see them just fine, and they lock onto the safer, easier prey.Tie on a spinner - such as a Hackle Spinner - and watch tough trout get much easier!
Fishing Gifts for Fishing Enthusiasts!
